An electrician died of rabies at Kalasin Hospital on Sunday morning, about eight months after being bitten by a dog in October last year.

The doctors said this was the first case of death from rabies in this northeastern province in 20 years.

According to information from his relatives, in October last year Anon Phuchanam, 42, went to a grocery shop at Hua Ngua village in Yang Talat district for some liquor after fixing electrical lines in a house nearby. While walking to his motorcycle to return home, he accidentally stepped on the tail of a dog which belonged to the grocery shop. The dog bit him in the calf of the right leg, leaving a scratch on it.

Anon cleaned the scratch by pouring liquor on it, and did not seek medical attention.

Following the incident, the grocery shop owner killed the dog in a fit of rage.

In May, Anon developed a chronic fever. He went to Yang Talat Hospital on June 12 for treatment and was transferred to Kalasin Hospital on Thursday. The doctors sent samples of his blood, urine and spinal cord to the Medical Science Department for examination. The department confirmed the man had contracted rabies.

Anon died at Kalasin Hospital at 6am on Sunday.

The case prompted Kalasin governor Kraisorn Kongchalad to call a meeting of health officials to launch a campaign to prevent a possible outbreak of the deadly disease in the province.